Container for vacuum cleaners



MarchQ, 1943. H. E. DODD I CONTAINER FOR VACUUM CLEANERS I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed De'q. 29, 1941' INVENTOR f 47/ fi/mwr D000. BY m M March 9, 1943., 'E DQDD CONTAINER FOR VACUUM CLEANERS 2 Sheets-She et 2 FiledDec. 29, 1941 INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAIN-ER FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Harry E. Dodd, Newark, Ohio Application December 29, 1941, Serial No. 424,696

4 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to a container for vacuum cleaners, but has reference more particularly to a storage container and support for vacuum cleaners of the so-called'cylinder type.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described which is especially adapted for storing a cylinder type vacuum cleaner and accessories when not in use, and for movably supporting the cleaner when in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described, which has pockets and receptacles for cleaning tools and other part auxiliary to the cleaner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described which can be easily transported from place to place,-and'is provided with a cover which enables the con I tainer to be used for other than storage purposes, such, for example as a cofiee or cocktail table.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Fig. -1 is a perspective view of the container, with the cover mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view-of the container, with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container with the cover removed, and other'parts eliminated to more clearly show the structure;

Fig. l is an enlarged perspective of one of th upper corners of the carriage;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail, showing one of the bumpers;

Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the lower corners of the carriage, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detail, showing the construction of the container cover.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the vacuum cleaner container will be seen to comprise a carriage consisting of a frame and rollers or casters for supporting the frame.

The frame comprises angles 1, 2, 3 and 4 welded together at their ends to form a more or less rectangular structure movably supported by means of ball-bearing casters or rollers 5, which are secured to the aforesaid structure adjacent the corners thereof.

The frame further comprises angle uprights 6, which are connected to the corners of the above said structure, and are connected at their upper ends by means of flat bars -'I and 8, the ends of which are mitered so as to facilitate welding of the bars to each other at their ends as well as to the uprights 6.

Welded or otherwise secured to the angles I and 2 at longitudinally-spaced points are trans versely-extending inverted U-shaped brackets 9, to which are welded or otherwise secured cylinder support brackets H], having side walls I I and end walls l2, these suport brackets serving a purpose to be presently described.

Secured to the frame angles 1, 2, '3 and 4, at th corners of the frame are arcuate rubbercovered guides I3, the function of which will be presently explained.

Welded to the bars I and 8 at points directly above the uprights 6, and in such a manner as to extend at an angle to the bars I and 8, are clamp members l4, each having an arcuate end 15. Secured to each of the members 14, as by means of fastening devices I6, is a complementary clamp member I! having an arcuate end I 3,-and an upright portion f9, terminating in-an inwardly extending flange it. Brackets 2| are secured to the clamp members I'Leach of these brackets being provided with an upright portion 22 substantially parallel 'with the portion ill of the clamp member I1, and terminating at its upper end in a downtumed curved fl'ange'2 3. A bracket 24 is secured to the portion 19 -of one of the clamp members l1, and is provided with an angularly and inwardly extending portion 25 terminating at its inner end in an upturned curved flange 25.

A hose grip 21, in'the form of-a shorttubular member, is welded to another one of the clamp members H.

The arcuate ends l5 and 18 of the clamp members I4 and Il serve to support an ovalshaped cover guide 28, formed of wire, and preferably covered with rubber or other protective material.

Accessory bag 29 are also provided. These are formed from rectangular pieces of canvas or like fabric folded along the center and secured, as by lacing 30, to the bars I and sides of the cover guide 28. The ends of the bag are stitched together as at 3|, and the bottom of the bags are stitched as at 32 to provide receptacles 33 for parts of a vacuum cleaner, a will be presently described.

The structure which has been described is especially adapted as a storage container for the various parts of a cylinder type vacuum cleaner, when the cleaner is not in use.

As shown in Fig. 2, the cleaner proper, indicated by the reference character C, and which is usually provided with leg or runner supports L, is mounted in the frame with the legs L disposed on the support brackets ill. The side walls ll of these brackets serve to prevent lateral displacement of the cleaner while the end walls l2 of the brackets serve to prevent endwise displacement thereof.

The flexible tube T of the cleaner may be mounted on the brackets 2|, being clamped to these brackets by means of the upright portions 22 of these brackets and the upright portions [9 of the clamp members l1. One end of this flexible tube T is clamped between the bracket 24 and the clamp member [4 which is directly under this bracket, while the other end of the flexible tube T is inserted in the hose grip 21.

The extension cord and various cleaning tools may be inserted in the bags 29, the receptacles 33 formed by the stitching 32 serving to receive the short tubular portions of the cleaner conduit.

With the cleaner stored within the frame in the manner described above, the entire frame and contents may be concealed from view by means of a cover consisting of a top formed of an ovalshaped piece of sheet steel 34, a piece of plywood 35, and a piece of glass 36, and a skirt or apron 31, formed of sheet metal, welded or otherwise secured to a flange 38 on the steel top 34, and provided with handles 39 of plastic or lik material for lifting the cover off the container. With the top in position, the container presents a neat and attractive appearance, and since it can easily be moved about, it is well adapted to serve as a coffee or cocktail table. If desired, the cover may be formed wholly or partly of a plastic material.

When it is desired to use the cleaner, it is only necessary to remove the cover, after which the tube T can be attached to the cleaner C, and the entire carriage moved about by pulling on the tube. The elements 13 and ends of the element 28 not only serve as guides for the cover to properly space the latter from the carriage, but also serve as bumpers to protect furniture. The flanges 20 serve as stops or rests upon which the cover is seated.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A vacuum cleaner support comprising a substantially horizontally disposed frame for supporting a vacuum cleaner, said frame having uprights at the corners thereof extending above the top of a vacuum cleaner supported on said frame, cover supports at the upper ends of said uprights, outwardly directed bracket members carried by said uprights for supporting a vacuum cleaner hose in a substantially horizontally disposed coil in circumscribing relation to said uprights, outwardly directed clamping means secured to the upper ends of said uprights, a cover guide supported by said clamping means in circumscribing relation to a vacuum cleaner hose supported in said bracket members, and a removable enclosing cover member supported upon said cover supporting means and having a depending skirt portion in engagement with said cover guide.

2. A vacuum cleaner support comprising a frame including spaced upper and lower rectangular members connected by uprights at the corners of said rectangular members, said rectangular members and uprights defining a skeleton frame open at the top, sides and ends, means secured to said frame for supporting a cylinder type vacuum cleaner, said vacuum cleaner being movable to and from said supporting means through the open top of said frame; and means for closing the open sides of said frame including depending fabric bags substantially coextensive with the openings in the sides of the frame and supported by said upper rectangular member and adapted to receive cleaning tools.

3. A vacuum cleaner support comprising a frame including upright members having cover supports at their upper ends, means carried by the frame for supporting a cover guide, a cover guide carried by said guide supports in circumscribing relation to said frame adjacent the upper end of said uprights, bumpers secured to said frame adjacent the lower end of said uprights, and a cover for said frame supported on said cover supports and having a depending skirt portion spaced from said frame by means of said guide and bumpers.

4. A vacuum cleaner support comprising a frame provided with means for supporting a vacuum cleaner and including spaced uprights, an oval-shaped guide circumscribing said frame and secured to said frame adjacent the upper ends of said uprights in a substantially horizontal position, arcuate-shaped bumpers secured to said frame adjacent the lower ends thereof, and a cover for said frame having a substantially flat top portion adapted to rest upon the upper end of said frame and a depending skirt portion surrounding said frame and spaced therefrom by means of said guide and bumpers which are disposed to engage the inner surface of said skirt.

HARRY E. DODD. 

